On June 13th, a Saturday morning, our Charley Horse passed away. His decline was sudden and his passing has broken the hearts of our team, our participants, and the rest of our herd.
Charley joined Stir-n-Up Hope a little over a year ago. He was special to many and a treasured part of our programs during his time with us. He was a favorite of many who visited our barn.
As the Executive Director I’d like to give particular accolades to a couple people:
Becky, our Program Director, confidently and competently led the decision making for Charley, in conjunction with our wonderful vet. We are grateful for her knowledge that serves our herd so well, even in the hardest times.
Justin, our Equine Care Coordinator, compassionately cares for our herd and was with Charley for hours and many times throughout the night leading up to his passing. I feel confident that having Justin near in his final hours, given his attentive and intuitive tending to Charley’s needs every day, would have been a great comfort to him.
Charley will be lovingly remembered by all. Justin knew him best and I’d like to share with you his thoughts after his passing:
“Most horses would hurry past you to get to feed. Charley always made sure everyone was in their stall before he would settle down and eat. He was timid, but brave enough to trust. He was a thousand pounds of innocence and if I’m a very lucky soul, I’ll get to rub on his neck again someday, while he rests his teeth on my shoulder. May you always feel a Charley walking behind you as you go throw hay.”
We appreciate your prayers of support for us and our programs during this time.
